Eradicating poverty, hunger
and promoting sustainable livelihoods are central to Malawi's socio-economic
development programmes and have been highlighted in our Vision 2020 and
Malawi's Poverty Reduction Strategy Paper.

Among other initiatives, Malawi
launched its first National Environmental Action Plan in 1994. This has
been our leading light, and indeed natural resources management features
highly in Malawi's Constitution. I launched our first National Environmental
Policy and Act in 1996.

More recently, we have encouraged
people's active participation in environmental affairs as part of our national
decentralization programme. In addition, my government works in partnership
with civil society to address the poverty-environment nexus.

Mr. Chairman, despite our
many achievements and initiatives to implement Agenda 21, there continues
to be some challenges for us to attain meaningful sustainable development.
Malawi, a nation of 10 million people, remains one of the least developed
countries in the world, with over 65 percent living in poverty.

Among our challenges
is the fact that people are putting pressure on the country's natural resources,
as they struggle to survive. As a result, our forestry, fisheries and agricultural
resources are under pressure. For example, forest cover has declined by
50 percent in the past 20 years because 90 percent of our energy requirements
are still in the form of fuel wood or charcoal.

As we all know, where there
is environmental damage the hardest hit are the poor. As I am speaking,
3 million of our people face famine due to a drought and severe floods
that we experienced during the last growing season.

Mr. Chairman,
the poverty profile in Africa is increasing instead of being reduced. Most
of the people in Africa and the SADC region are living on less than a dollar
a day.

It is clear that some of
the root causes of the increasing poverty that we are experiencing in Malawi
are lack of a high literacy level and the prevalence of HIV/AIDS. We are
very committed that HIV/AIDS should receive special attention in all our
programmes; and that it should be integral to Environment Impact Assessments.

Mr. Chairman, Malawi supports
fully the initiatives and principles of the New Partnership for Africa's
Development (NEPAD) as endorsed by the African Union. Much as I greatly
appreciate the assistance we receive from development partners in the international
community, we need to talk of big changes and a big shift that calls for
strengthened and serious policy actions.

Mr. Chairman, the initiatives we agree
upon here will only succeed if every one is taken on board and allowed
to contribute. In this regard, Malawi believes that countries like Taiwan,
which is seeking the opportunity to accede to international environmental
treaties, ought to be allowed to participate, especially when you consider
that Taiwan has sponsored more than fifty conservation projects worldwide.
The world is one big family and no member of that family should be left
out by the wayside.

Mr. Chairman, our people
are looking and listening to us as we speak here. When we return to our
various capitals, they will expect us to deliver. We owe it to the people
we lead to try and make this world a better place to live in, not only
for mankind, but also for all other creatures that call this planet their
home.